Anatomy of a Jab

The jab is your most basic punch. Utilized by many forms of unarmed combat, the importance of a jab is more defensive than offensive. It is one of the least powerful punches, but no less important. The jab allows you to keep your distance from your opponent, which is especially useful when you have a long reach. It is used to distract your opponent while you are setting up another more powerful punch, such as the cross, hammer fist, or uppercut. The power or pivot jab is your most powerful jab. In pivoting your forward foot and turning your hips into the jab, you increase its power. In competitive boxing, the fast jab or ‘jabbing the fly’ is a move utilized to score more points from the judges.

Performing the Jab

Perform the jab with the lead hand. Make a sideways fighting stance. Push off with your rear foot and snap the arm out quickly, connecting the lead fist to your opponent’s cheek, eye, nose, temple, mouth or chin. Avoid the forehead. For maximum power, twist the lead arm in a corkscrew motion before landing.

Muscles Involved in the Jab

It is best to utilize the entire body in any strike, creating maximum force. However, the precise muscles involved in the jab are:

Exercises to Increase Jab Power

The best exercise to increase power is repeated jabs to a punching bag or dummy. Additionally, pull-ups and chin-ups, knuckle push-ups, and plyo-push-ups.

A good weightlifting exercise is the clean and press, which can be performed with both a barbell and dumbbells.